Introduction

Good for those winter months, this is a really moist, light, rich and warming sponge, with the thick-cut bitter marmalade off-setting the sweet sponge beautifully. I have served it for many Burns’ Night
dinners and have even had a poem written about it. The whisky custard works very happily with many other puddings.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

160g

softened unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

100g

caster sugar

50g

soft light brown sugar

2

eggs

230g

plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

1½ tsp

baking powder

4 tbsp

whole milk

6 tbsp

marmalade

For the whisky custard:

1

vanilla pod

250ml

full fat milk

125ml

double cream

3

egg yolks

80g

caster sugar

30–40ml

good whisky

Essential kit

You will need an electric mixer and a 1 litre pudding basin.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/gas 3 and grease and flour a 1 litre pudding basin.

In an electric mixer with a beater attachment, or in a bowl with a wooden spoon, cream your butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs one at a time, mixing as you go to prevent them curdling, then mix in the sifted flour and baking powder.

Fold in the milk and 2 tablespoons of the marmalade.

Put the remaining 4 tablespoons of marmalade into the bottom of the prepared basin and spoon the sponge mix on top. Cover the top with a buttered round of baking paper, then cover that with a piece of foil with a pleat in the middle and tie with string to secure.

Place the pudding in a deep roasting tray and pour boiling water into the tray to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover the whole thing with foil and bake for 2½ hours.

Remove the pudding carefully from the baking tray and leave for 10 minutes before unwrapping, unmoulding and upturning on a serving plate.

While the pudding is resting, make the whisky custard. Slit the vanilla pod open lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds and pod into a heavy-based saucepan with the milk and cream and bring slowly to the boil to infuse the vanilla.

Meanwhile put the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and mix together for a few seconds.

Pour the boiling milk into the yolks, whisking constantly to prevent curdling, then return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook slowly over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Pour through a fine sieve, discard the vanilla pod, and stir in the whisky. Serve straight away, in a jug, with the pudding.